NOTE: The Rams add another state next season with Class of 2019 signee Jarren McAllister from North Carolina. McAllister is prepping this season at Massanutten Military Academy.

Marcus Evans

Mike'L Simms

Virginia Commonwealth University searches near and far for basketball talent, but lately the emphasis has been on far.

Of Coach Mike Rhoades’ 14 players, just two are Virginians and only one has Richmond ties.

This season, players hail from 11 different states, including from as far away as Arizona, thus the tag “Rhoades map Rams.”

This isn’t a knock. In expanding its recruiting tentacles, VCU has risen to become one of the NCAA’s most consistently winning programs. The Rams are 5-1 this season following a nervous 67-66 overtime win Saturday, Nov. 24, over Hofstra University.

VCU’s program boasts a lengthy list of superlatives. The Rams made seven straight NCAA Tournaments prior to last season while developing one of the nation’s most loyal fans bases. The program also has enjoyed 121 straight home sellouts.

The makeup of the current roster is a product of three coaches — Coach Rhoades and his two predecessors, Coach Will Wade and Coach Shaka Smart.

Surprisingly, no players hail from Coach Rhoades’ home state of Pennsylvania.

Both native Virginians need an asterisk by their names on the roster. Both joined the Rams from out-of-state colleges and were not pursued by VCU while in high school.

Marcus Evans transferred to VCU from Rice University while Mike’L Simms, who played locally at Highland Springs High School in Henrico County, was signed by Coach Rhoades out of Cowley College, a community college in Arkansas City, Kan.

While VCU has found fortune with a more far-flung recruiting strategy, its record book is brimming with local heroes.